Annika Michelson, HAMK | Maarit Heinonen, Luke | Heidi Barman-Geust, Novia
Different Landrace Oat Panicles
Oats (Avena sativa) became the most widely grown cereal crop in the late 19th century, as it was an important forage crop for the emerging livestock industry. Oats' short growing season, small grain size, and narrow shape had been crucial to their success under primitive farming conditions and in years of adverse weather.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, only landrace oats were grown, until the first Swedish oat varieties (including "Guldregn") began to replace them, especially in the southern parts of Finland. By the beginning of the 1920s, the cultivation of landrace oats had decreased by a third. Regional differences were significant. Landrace oats were dark brown in color. Only on the eastern border was white oats from Russia grown. However, the dark landrace oats were not completely uniform in color, but variegated. Among the brown-grained ones there were also grains with gray, yellow and white husks.
Oat breeder J.O. Sauli (1881–1957) collected the landrace oats grown in the early 20th century in Finland. He classified them into five types based on the appearance of the panicular.
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Type 1: Bushy panicle with lots of grains, the panicle is nodding. Bushes well, weak straw, late.
Region: South Finland and Central Finland's lake areas.
Type 2: Short, sparsely grained, low panicle. Relatively early, usually poor yield.
Region: Areas with bad growing conditions.
Type 3: Pretty long panicle, a lot of oat grains. The panicle is pyramid formed. Relatively high yield, weak straw, late.
Region: Good growing conditions, widely spread.
Type 4: Large, wide and pointed whisk with a generous amount of oat grains. Long and strong straw, low sprouting, small gains, very early, pretty low yield.
Region: North Ostrobothnia
Type 5: A weaker form of type 4, the earliest North Finnish oat types.
Region: Barren northern agricultural regions
The project Sweet Oat –Vitality from Heritage Grains (2025-2027) promotes the cultivation of landrace oats and old varieties that are suitable for organic production and a changing climate.
Tähän tyyppiin kuuluivat Saulin mielestä paras maatiaiskaura kuului tyyppiin 4.
Sauli concluded that different cultivation conditions over time had created different local forms. The types also shared other characteristics, such as a specific type of straw, bushiness, and growth period.
Photos: Sanna Maula
Drawings: Annika Michelson